Nebraska Summit on Math and Science Education

December 8, 2014
Nebraska Innovation Campus

Overview

With the introduction of new standards in both mathematics and science, Nebraska leaders in PK-12 STEM education are poised to implement policies that will have a significant impact on achievement in Nebraska’s schools. This Summit brought together leaders in math and science education to take stock of the strengths and challenges of Nebraska’s educational system and decide how best to move forward to ensure a solid foundation for the state’s future citizens.

The Nebraska Summit on Math and Science Education was held on Monday, Dec. 8, 2014, at the new NIC Conference Center on the Nebraska Innovation Campus, 2021 Transformation Drive in Lincoln. To encourage statewide participation, funds for travel and lodging were available for those who lived outside the Lincoln area. We encouraged teams of administrators, math teachers and science teachers from schools and districts to attend. Google Map of Summit Locations

Featured Speakers

Panel Discussion

An afternoon panel on creating and sustaining PK-16 partnerships featured Jim Lewis, Aaron Douglas Professor of Mathematics (UNL); Matt Larson, Lincoln Public Schools’ mathematics curriculum specialist and NCTM president-elect; Jim Harrington, Omaha Public Schools’ supervisor of mathematics; and Julie Thomas, research professor, Department of Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education (UNL). Panelists discussed the history of the partnerships among them, how these partnerships have led to successful programs such as NebraskaMATH, and the enormously positive impact the programs have had on education in the LPS and OPS school systems. Thomas brought the discussion to a close with the charge of using existing partnerships around mathematics as a model that science partnerships might emulate.

• Creating and Sustaining a PK-16 Partnership
• A K-16 Professional Development Partnership for Teachers of Mathematics: The Case of LPS and UNL
• A Partnership for Mathematics Professional Development
• Creating and Sustaining a PK-16 Partnership: Developing a Science Agenda

Breakout Sessions

Concurrent breakout sessions addressed issues in PK-12 math and science education; teacher preparation; professional development; STEM education for diverse learners; Next Generation Science and Nebraska State/Common Core Mathematics standards; rural education; and assessment.

Complete listing of Monday breakout session titles and abstracts

Morning Breakout Sessions (click on the presenter name for the slides from the presentation):

• Professional Development for Teachers of Mathematics: Slides from presenters Jim Lewis Helen Banzhaf Michelle Homp
• Authentic Science Learning Experiences: Slides from presenters Jon Pedersen and Tiffany Heng-Moss
• Sustaining a Community of Science Teachers: Slides from presenters Joe Myers
• Challenges of Math and Science Teaching in Rural Communities
• Revising the Nebraska Mathematics Standards: Slides from presenter Deb Romanek
• Primarily Math: Slides from presenters Ruth Heaton, Wendy Smith and Traci Kutaka

Afternoon Breakout Sessions (click on the title for the slides from the presentation or the abstract if slides are not available):

• Principles to Actions – A Road Map for Excellence in Mathematics Teaching: Slides from presnters Diane Briars, Matt Larson and Shelby Aaberg
(Download the Principles to Actions Executive Summary here.)
• Reading and Writing in Science
• Science for Diverse Learners: Slides from presenters Katie Ramsey and Robin Dexter Lynne Houtz
• Informal Science Learning
• Educating Next Generation Math and Science Teachers: Slides from presenters Leen-Kiat Soh
• Math Coaches: Supporting Teachers as They Teach Students: Slides from presenters Arlene Mitchell Tara Zuspan
• K-12 Technology and Engineering Focused Programs: Slides from presenters Neal Grandgenett Gwen Nugent

Registration

Registration for the conference was $50. Lunch, a reception and meeting materials were provided as part of the registration fee. Registration closed on Nov. 17 when capacity was reached.

Complete listing of Sunday pre-session titles and abstracts

Pre-Summit Workshops for Math and Science Teachers

A conference pre-session took place on Sunday evening, Dec. 7, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Embassy Suites. The pre-session offered hands-on enrichment activities for mathematics and science classrooms, along with a Math Teachers Circle event.

Workshop topics (click on the title for the abstract, slides or handouts provided by these presenters):

• Fluency with Fractions, Jim Lewis
• Transform K-2 "Problem Performers" into "Problem Solvers"!, Susie Katt and Tara Zuspan
• May the Odds Be Ever in the Back of Your Textbook, Shelby Aaberg and Amanda Cochran
• Making Sense of Sense Making, David Hartman
• James Tanton's Remarkable Paper Folding, Anne Schmidt and Katie Soto
• The Life Cycle of Literacy Through Science, Julie McGough
• "Making" Sense of STEM Learning Through Community Science Workshops, Jerry Valadez

Summit Evaluation

Following your participation in the Summit, we ask that you complete a Summit Evaluation survey.

Travel and Lodging Support

To encourage statewide participation, funds for travel and lodging were available for those who live outside the Lincoln area. We encouraged teams of administrators, math teachers and science teachers from schools and districts to attend.

A block of rooms was reserved at the Embassy Suites in downtown Lincoln and additional rooms have been reserved at the Courtyard Marriott in the Railyard. Individuals will need to call in and make their own reservations for the Embassy Suites at (402) 474-1111 and using the code "SMC". Rooms at the Embassy may no longer be available. Please call the Courtyard at (402) 904-4800 to reserve your room. The conference covered a one-night stay for Sunday, Dec. 7, as well as parking (one entry/exit), internet and breakfast at either hotel. Individuals who did not cancel within 24 hours of their stay or did not check-in will be charged $99 per night plus all applicable taxes.

Enacting Standards for Mathematical Practices Conference

October 21-22, 2011
University of Nebraska-Lincoln

The conference brought together 135 attendees from 18 states from the fields of mathematics and mathematics education, including mathematicians, teacher educators, researchers, and classroom teachers, to discuss the nationwide problem of operationalizing and implementing the processes and proficiencies embedded in mathematical practice standards from the Common Core State Standards in K-12 classrooms in meaningful, high-quality ways. Attendees had time to engage in discussions with the plenary speakers, and attended breakout sessions with local and national invited speakers. Immediately following the conference, there was a banquet honoring Jim Lewis’s many contributions to math education, with nearly 100 attendees.

The Standards for Mathematical Practices from the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics

1. Make sense of problem solving and persevere in solving them
2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively
3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others
4. Model with mathematics
5. Use appropriate tools strategically
6. Attend to precision
7. Look for and make use of structure
8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning

The Illustrative Mathematics Project currently has a dynamic version of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, allowing one to view the standards at different grain-sizes, and also allowing for both horizontal and vertical views. Coming soon: sample tasks to illustrate the mathematical content standards.

Plenary speaker Dr. Matt Larson's newly published article, "Will CCSSM Matter in Ten Years? – Reflect and Discuss," appeared in the September 2012 issue of Teaching Children Mathematics. Larson examines the standards movement through the years and then proposes actions that educators can take to effectively implement CCSSM. He also credits the ESMP conference in the article. To download the free preview and the online extra presentation slides, click here.

Nebraska Summit on Mathematics Education

December 14, 2009
University of Nebraska-Lincoln

View the Summit's webpage